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St. Petersburg, FL Invasive Plant Rules: Prohibited Species (2026)

Heavy Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Ban covers: Sale, offering for sale, and planting
Geographic scope: Citywide, within City limits
Listed species: 9, incl. Brazilian pepper, Australian pine, strangler fig
Removal required: Before certificate of occupancy on permitted projects
Must include: A plan to prevent re-growth
Distinct list: "Unprotected trees" may remain, § 16.40.060.2.1.6(C)

Summary

St. Petersburg City Code § 16.40.060.2.1.6(D) makes it unlawful to plant, cause to be planted, or sell or offer for sale nine listed exotic and nuisance tree species citywide, including Brazilian pepper, Australian pine, Chinese tallow and strangler fig. Any project seeking a landscaping permit must remove all of them from the site and abutting right-of-way before it can get a certificate of occupancy.

D. Prohibited trees. It is unlawful to plant or cause to be planted, or to sell or offer for sale, within the City limits the following exotic and nuisance plant species. Any development or redevelopment which is required to obtain a landscaping permit or file a landscape plan shall remove all prohibited trees on the property and abutting right-of-way and shall include a plan to prevent re-growth prior to approval of a certificate of occupancy. PROHIBITED TREES: Acacia, earleaf (Acacia auriculiformis); Australian pines, all (Casuarina spp.); Brazilian pepper (Schnius terebinthifolius); Carrotwood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides); Chinaberry (Melia azederach); Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera); Lead tree (Leucaena leucocephala); Punk (Melaleuca quinquenervia); Strangler fig (Ficus aurea).

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).

Full Breakdown

), Brazilian pepper (listed in the code as "Schnius terebinthifolius"), carrotwood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides), chinaberry (Melia azederach), Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera), lead tree (Leucaena leucocephala), punk/melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia), and strangler fig (Ficus aurea). 6(C), species like mango, avocado, citrus and camphor may be removed freely without a permit but are not banned from being planted or sold; only the nine species in subsection (D) may never be planted, sold, or left standing on a permitted project site.

Violations & Fines

Subsection (D) itself sets no dollar fine, so planting, selling or failing to remove a listed species is enforced as a general Code violation under § 1-7: a fine up to $500.00, up to 60 days imprisonment, or both, with each day the prohibited tree remains treated as a separate offense; on active permits, an unremoved prohibited tree also blocks certificate-of-occupancy approval.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a nursery legally sell Brazilian pepper within St. Petersburg?

No. Section 16.40.060.2.1.6(D) makes it unlawful "to plant or cause to be planted, or to sell or offer for sale, within the City limits" any of the nine listed exotic and nuisance species, and Brazilian pepper is on that list along with Australian pine and Chinese tallow.

I'm redoing my landscaping: do I have to remove an existing melaleuca tree?

Yes, if the project needs a landscaping permit or landscape plan. Section 16.40.060.2.1.6(D) requires removal of "all prohibited trees on the property and abutting right-of-way", melaleuca, listed as "Punk," included, plus a plan to prevent regrowth, before the City approves a certificate of occupancy.

Is mango a banned tree in St. Petersburg?

No. Mango appears on the separate "unprotected trees" list in § 16.40.060.2.1.6(C), which covers non-native species that may be removed without a permit but are not outright prohibited; only the nine species named in subsection (D), such as Brazilian pepper and carrotwood, may not be planted or sold at all.

Sources & Official References

[1]St. Petersburg City Code § 16.40.060.2.1.6(D), Municode

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